The
increased focus on best practice environmental management has led to mining and
mineral processing companies developing a variety of procedures to ensure that
the environmental impacts of their operations are minimised, and that company
managements are fully aware of these impacts and the policies and procedures
established to ensure this process. Parallel to this, international standards
for the development and implementation of environmental management systems are
being promoted as necessary for companies to demonstrate their due diligence.
Good environmental management systems should be built upon the systems already
established within companies, and should ensure that the process of continual
improvement is integral to their operation. An outline of the basic components
of environmental management systems is provided, along with examples of the way
various mining companies have implemented such systems. The benefits of best
practice environmental management to mining companies are also considered.